Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "com sede" in Portuguese (Portugal)?

Q: How do you pronounce com sede in Portuguese (Portugal)?

com sede is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written kõ ˈsɛ.dɨ. It means “thirsty.” Say "kong SEH-duh" — "com" nasal, and "sede" has an open "eh" vowel with a near-silent final e.

Say "kong SEH-duh" — "com" nasal, and "sede" has an open "eh" vowel with a near-silent final e.

com sede kõ ˈsɛ.dɨ

The stress in this phrase falls on "SE" in "sede"; "com" is unstressed and nasal.

Listen: com sede

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Sound it out

com Nasal "o", pronounced through the nose, as in "com fome".

se An open "eh" sound, like the e in English "bed", not a closed "ay"-like vowel.

de A true dental "d" (never the "j"-like sound Brazilian Portuguese would give this before a reduced vowel) with an almost-silent final e.

Hear it in a sentence

Estou com muita sede.

I'm very thirsty.

Listen: Estou com muita sede.

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Like "com fome", "estar com sede" (to be thirsty) is a fixed noun-based idiom, literally "to be with thirst". "Estou com muita sede" uses "muita" (feminine, agreeing with "sede") rather than "muito", since "muito/a" as an adjective must agree with the noun it modifies — a subtle contrast with its invariable adverbial use (as in "muito bom"). This is a good sentence for noticing that distinction.

Where English speakers slip

Beyond the same "estar com + noun" idiom trap as "com fome", learners frequently confuse "muito" (invariable adverb, "very") with "muita" (agreeing adjective, "a lot of") — since "sede" is feminine, it must be "muita sede", not "muito sede". On pronunciation, keep the vowel in "se" open like English "bed", avoiding a more closed vowel that could make it sound like a different word.